Letter from the editor:

In the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to speak with a number of Los Angeles-based artists and organizations about the admirable work they are doing during the pandemic. While this is a sad and difficult time for us all, it has been heartwarming to see how artists are coming up with creative solutions to support their communities. 

I was particularly moved by Mary Beth Heffernan's PPE Portrait Project, which she's been developing since the Ebola outbreak in 2014. During epidemics and pandemics, patients often don't see people's faces for weeks at a time, since medical staff must take the preventive measures of covering themselves up. To mitigate this, Heffernan came up with a simple, ingenious solution that she is currently bringing to hospitals around the United States. Read more here. 

Unfortunately, there's more bad news to report in the art world as well, as more people in the arts lose their jobs. Joining MoMA, MOCA Los Angeles, the Guggenheim, the Whitney Museum, and others, the Frye Museum in Seattle and Meow Wolf in Santa Fe have laid off and furloughed staff. Arts organizations in the US are destined for an estimated $5 billion in losses, according to a recent analysis.

To end on a more optimistic note, the 18th Street Arts Center is currently offering *free* online art classes for kids led by visual artists, filmmakers, and musicians. Classes are offered in English and Spanish and are sure to brighten any family's day. 

Artists Are Teaching Free Online Classes to Kids in Both English and Spanish

The 18th Street Arts Center is launching a mini-semester’s worth of virtual art school for children, from toddlers to teenagers.

Elisa Wouk Almino

News

Frye Art Museum Workers Say Layoffs Motivated by Union Busting

Donning face masks and gloves, and standing six feet apart, workers picketed the Seattle museum, saying two union representatives were unjustly targeted.

Meow Wolf Lays Off, Furloughs Over Half Its Staff

The experiential exhibition company, a major employer in the Santa Fe arts scene and subject of a number of lawsuits for its workplace conditions, announced staff changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Survey of US Arts Organizations Points to Devastating Losses During Pandemic

Based on its findings, Americans for the Arts estimates nearly $5 billion in losses across the US’s 120,492 arts nonprofits.

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